Door operator and control means therefor



Sept. 6, 1932. 0. J. STEWART 1,875,771

nook OPERATOR AND CONTROL mamas mam-21 0a Filed Nov. 7. 1927 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 i r i l I l Inventor N Duncan J. Stewart Sept. 6, 1932. J, STEWART 1,875,771

DOOR OPERATOR AND CONTROL MEANS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 7. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 7/ ,26 72 70 1 Z. w I

9 5 1 f 45 l I 76- .T'

Inventor Duncan I]. fitewari flfigp .Sept. 6, 1932 D. J. STEWART 1,875,771

DOOR OPERATOR AND CONTROL MEANS THEREFOR Filed Nov. '7. 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 3 J I I Inventor Duncan J Oiewari 53 :2 4

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 DUNCAN .7. STEWART, or ROCKFORD, ILLINoIs, ASSIGNOR 'ro HowARn I). commit, or I nocxronn, ILLINOIS Application filed November This invention relates to improvements in door operators and more particularly to op-. erators of the type commonly used for opening and closing heavy garage or factory doors.

The primary object of the invention is to provide, in combination with a power operator for opening and closing a door, anew and improved control means by which a person on the outer side of the door may free the door for operation independently of said operator. I

A further object is to provide a single key controlled device by which a power operator operatively associated with the door may be started to open the door or freed from the door so as to permit manual operation of the door independently of the operator.

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan sectional view of a pair of doors arranged to be actuated by an operator embodying the features of the present invention. 7 9

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing the parts of the operator in different relations.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of a part of the control means for the operator.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is afragmentary sectional view taken along the line 77 of Fig. 6.

While the invention is susceptible of vari ous modifications and alternative construe.

to the specific form disclosed. but intend to' cover all modificationsand alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope 7, 1927. Serial No. 231,619.

f he invention as expressed in the appends ed claims. r V

In the drawings, the invention is illus trated'in combination with a power driven operator fora pair of outwardly; swinging.

doors 10. Each of the doors is hinged to the vertical side edge of a doorway defined by a frame 11 and is arranged to'be opened and closed successively bythe reciprocation of an actuator bar 12. This 'bar is rigidly connected at its forward end'with a car 13 adapt ed to travel toward and from the doorway along a track 14, the car being in turn pivotally connected to the doors by rods 15.

In the present instance, the bar 12 is in the. form of. a rack and is adapted to be recipro-- cated by an operatorof the type disclosed and claimed in a copending application Serial No. 166,086, filed February 5, 1927 by Howard D. Colman. As fully set forth in said application, this operator comprises a frame 16 (Fig. 1) secured to a ceiling or other suitable support and supporting a driving shaft 17 driven by an electric motor 18 and a driven shaft 19 carrying a pinion 20 which meshes with the rack bar 12. The two shafts are connected together by a planetary reduc:

tion gearing which is shown in Fig. 4 as comprising a pinion 21. on the, shaft 17 meshing with three spur gears 22 which support and mesh with a'fioating ring gear 23; The gears 22 are mounted on flying studs 22 on a disk' 24 which'is fast upon the driven shaft 19 and which constitutes-one driven member of the planetary differential. I

The driving connection between the two shafts 17 and 19 ismaintained under normal operating conditions by holding stationary the ring=gear which constitutes the other member of the differential, this being accomplished in the present instance by a dog 25.

pivotally mounted on a lever 26 and having teeth which are normally pressed against the toothed periphery of the gear 23. Thelever 26 is pivoted on the frame 16 and isnormally;

the dog positioned as shown in Fig. 2. The

arrangement just described is adapted to release the driving connection between the two operating cycles.

shafts 17 and 19 whenever an obstruction is encountered by the doors in either of their In this event, an abnormal force is exerted on the dog 25 by the gear 23, and this force, when of suflicient magnitude, swings the dog in the direction of motion of the gear and thus throws it over center. The gear being then free to rotate, prevents'the other driven member of the differential, that is the disk 24, from being driven. Thus, no power will'be applied to the doors.

The motor operates in opposite directions in successive operating cycles of predetermined lengths and thus alternately opens and closes the doors, the control of each operating cycle being effected through the medium of a main motor switch 28, a brake and a reversing switch. 29. The brake and motor switch are operated by a multi-fulcrumfloating lever 30 pivota-lly mounted intermediate its ends on a rearwardly projecting arm carried by a rocker member 31 which is in turn pivota-lly supported on the frame 16. At its rear end, the lever 30 carries contacts which coopcrate withstationary contacts on the frame 16 to form the main motor switch. The brake comprises a block 32 of friction material carried-by the lever 30 behind the ful crum point 33 thereof so as to engage a drum- 34 on the driving shaft 17 whenever the motor switch is open. Normally, that is, whenthe motor is at rest, the forward end of the lever is held in raised position (Fig. 2) [against the action'of a strong tension spring 35 (Fig. 1) by the upper end of a latch 36. The latch is pivoted on the frame and has a depending portion 37'which constitutes the armature of an electromagnetic coil 38, a spring 39 being provided to normally press the upper end of the latch toward the lever 30. I

Near the end of each door operating cycle, the lever 30 is reset and the reversing switch conditioned for the succeeding cycle. This is effected by oscillation of a cam shaft 40 through the medium of a lost motion connection with the driven shaft 19' which connec* tion includes, in the present instance, two

lugs 41 positioned at opposite ends of the.

rack bar 12 so as to strike a depending arm 42 on the camshaft as the doors approach their open and closed positions respectively. Oscillation of the cam shaft actuates the re versing switch 29 and also carries the lobes of two coacting cam disks 43 past a follower 44 on the rocker member 31. This raises the forward end of the lever 30 until it is caught by the end of the latch 36 and thereafter releases the lever for movement about the-latch as a fulcrum.

. To lock the doors firmly in closed position,

means is provided which is operable when-1.

leasing movement of the dog 25. This means comprises a member 45 pivoted on the frame and having a lug 46 (Fig. 1) which is moved into blocking relation with respect to the rear end of the lever 26 when the switch 28 is opened at the end of each operating cycle and out of such position during the closing of the main switch at the beginning of the next cycle. This is accomplished herein by cams 47 (Fig. 2) on the end of the lever 30 acting on an arm 48 on the member 45. When the lug 46 is in blocking position (Fig. 2), the dog 25 cannot be thrown over center; therefo're'the brake acting through the reduction gearing prevents operation of the doors by hand. v I 7 Assuming the doors to be in closed position, the mechanism thus far described, operates as follows in the normal door operating cycle. At this time the reversing switch would be conditioned to cause the motor to rotate in a direction to open the doors and the forward end of thelever 30 would be held raised by the latch 36 (Fig. 2), the brake being applied, the switch 28 opened and the lug 46 in blockingpositionf Upon energization of the magnet 33, the latch 36 is withdrawn allowing the spring 35 to swing the lever 30 about the fulcrum point 33 which at this time is fir-zed by the engagement of the follower 44 and the depressed portion of the cam disks'43. Such upward movement of the rear end of the lever releases the brake, closes the main motor switch and unlocks the overload release dog. Closure of the switch starts the motor. Near the end of the cycle the rearmost lug 41 on the rack bar strikes the arm 42 and oscillatesthe cam shaft 40. This actuates the reversing switch to condition the motor circuits for the next cycle, raises the forward end of the lever 30 and then releases the lever. While being actuated by the leading surface of the cam lobes, the lever fulcrums about a point 49 (Fig. 3) at its rear end, the forward end being thus raised above the end of the latch 36. V The lever is released when the trailing surface of the cam lobe passes the follower 44 whereupon the spring 35 swings the rear end ofthe lever downwardly about the'end of the latch as a fulcrum. This opens the switch 28, applies the brake and locks the overload release dog. Thus the cycle is terminated with theopen ator properly conditioned to execute a door closing cycle when the magnet 33, is again energized.

In accordance with the present invention, meansis provided to enable a person outside of the building to start the operator to open switch for energizing the magnet 38 or to release a mechanism by which the latch 36may be withdrawn mechanically to unlock the doors, the same mechanism also serving to release the dog 25. Referring to Figs. 1, 6 and 7, the control device herein illustrated includes a casing mounted on the door frame 11 and provided with an ordinary cylinder lock 51, the operating member of which carries an arm 52 within the casing. Normally, the arm is disposed as shown in Fig. 6, but when the operating member of the lock is oscillated in a counterclockwise direction by means of the key inserted in the lock, the arm engages an insulated contact 53 and closes a circuit for the magnet 38. This circuit includes the magnet, a source of electric current, and conductors 5 (Fig. l), which extend through a tubular spindle 55, and are connected respectively with the contact 53 and the casing 50. v

The spindle 55 extends through the door frame and is supported at its outer end by a member 56 journaled in the casing 50 and having rigid therewith a handle 57 by which the spindle can be oscillated. The crank is normally locked against movement by a bolt 58 mounted in the casing and projecting into a recess 59 in a disk 60 on the spindle. When the operatingmember of the lock is oscillated in a clockwise direction from its normal position, the arm 52 is carried against a shoulder provided by a collar on the bolt 58, thereby drawing the upper end of the bolt into the position indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 6. Then the hand crank can be lowered as permitted by a cut-away portion 61 in the disk 60. A spring 62 serves to maintain the operating parts of the control device in the position shown in Fig. 6. r

Such oscillation of the spindle, operating through a suitable mechanical connection, releases the latch .36 of the door operator and also moves the overload release dog into inoperative position. In the present instance, this connection includes a cable 63 fixed at one end to a winding drum 63 on the inner end of the spindle 55 and leading around sheaves 64 to the ups-Landing arm of a bell crank lever 65 (Fig. 2). The lever is pivoted on the frame, 16 coaXially with the latch 36 and has a clepending and laterally extending portion carrying an adjustable spring pressed plunger 66 in position to bearagainst the armature37. Normally, the bell crank is held in position shown in Fig. 2 by a spring 67, such position being determined by a stop 68 on the bell crank 65. In the initial portion of the movement of the bell crank into the position shown in Fig. 3, the plunger 66 presses the armature 37 rearwardly and releases the latch, thereby allowing the lever 30 to pivot, as above ex plained, which moves the locking lug 46 out of blocking position. Thus the overload release dog is freed.

F urther movement of the bell crank 65 carries theend of an eye on a rod 69connected to the upstanding'bell crank arm against an upstanding Mg 70 on the lever 26 and raises the lever against the action of its spring '27 into the position shown in Fig. 3. This allows a leaf spring 71 actingv on alateral stud 72 on the dog 25 to swing the-dog into over center position, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby preventing effective engagement between thedog and the gear 23 when the lever 26 is thereafter released. By thus freeing the ring gear for rotation the driving connection between the f doors and the motor driven brake drum 34 is rendered ineffectual so that the doors may be opened by hand without maintaining the handle 57 in actuated position. A person within the building may also render the door operator ineffectual in holding the doors locked in closed position and thereby per- 1 mit hand operation of the doors. This may be done by pulling on a thong 73 suspended from an arm on the bell crank 65 which has the same efli'ect as manipulating the outside handl'ever 57 as above described.

The overload release dog 25 and the floating lever 30 may be reset either by moving the doors to eitheropen or closed position or by pulling on a thong 74. In the former case,

the rocker member31 is actuated in the manner above explainedby oscillation of the cam shaft40. In the latter case, the rocker memher is actuated by an arm 75 integral therewith. The member 31has a rearwardly projecting arm 76 with opposed cam surfaces 77 thereon (Fig. 3) which engage with the stud 72 during their upward movement and swing the dog 25 into normal centered position. This operation is illustrated in Fig. 4, the latch 36 having moved in under the end of the lever 30. When the pull rod 74 is released-from the position shown in Fig. 4 the spring .35 swings the lever 30 back to normal position, thus locking the overload release dog as shown in Fig. 2. Then the doors are locked in closed position and the operator is conditioned for proper operation when the electric power supply is again available.

To summarize the operation of the outside control means just described, it will be observed that when an authorized person desires to enter the garage through the doorway closed by the doors 10, he may open the doors through the medium of the power operator by inserting his-key into the lock 51 and turning the same in a direction to move the arm against the contact 53. This energizes the magnet 38 to initiatea door opening cycle of the operator. Should it happen, however,v

that no electric power is available at the time or the motor for some other reason fails to start, the key may be turned in the opposite direction to unlock the'han'dle 57. Then by swinging the handle downwardly the latch 36 is tripped to unlock the doors by releasing the brakev lever and in the same movement the overload release dog 25 is thrown over center.

Under these conditions the doors may be con veniently opened by hand. All of the control mechanisms for the operator may be restored to normal condition by moving the doors back to closed position, or by pulling on the thong 74. 1 V I claim as my invention: 1

1. The combination with a door, of an electric motor, of means including an overload release device normally providing a driving connection between said motor and said door and adapted when a condition of overload is encountered in the operation of said motor to free the door, locking means for said door including means for holding said driving connection against etl'ective movement and means to prevent releasing of said device when said door is in closed position, and means including a mechanism operable from a point outside of the door to successively release said holding means and said device whereby to permit the door to be opened independently of said motor.

2. The combination with a door, of an electric motor, of means including an overload release device normally providing a driving connection between said motor and said door and adapted when a condition of overload is encountered in the operation of said motor to free the door, locking means for said door including means to prevent releasing of said device when said door is in closed position, and a lock adapted to be controlledfrom a point outside of said door for releasing said last -mentioned means whereby to free the door for subsequent operation by hand independently of said connection.

3. The combination with a door, of an electric motor, or" means including an overload release devi e normally providing a driving connection between said motor and said door and adapted when a condition of overload is encountered in the operation of said motor to free the door, locking means for said door including means to prevent releasing of said device when said door is in closed position, and a lock adapted to be controlled from a point outside of said door for releasing said last mentioned means whereby to free the door for subsequent operation by hand independently of said connection, and means operated by movement of said door to closed position to render said door locking means operative.

4. The combination with a door, of a power driven operator therefor, means arranged to be operated said operator for locking said door in closed position, means for initiating the normal operation of said operator to unlock said door and effect movement thereof to opened or closed position, and independent mechanical means operable from nection between said motor and said door,v

locking means assooiatedwith said connection and effective normally to prevent opera tion of said door independently of said motor, a contr l device operable by hand from a point outside of said door, means mechanically connecting said locking means and said device anchoperable upon actuation of said device to render said locking means ineffectual, and a lock normally preventing op eration of said device.

6. The combination with a door, of an operator therefor including an electric motor, means providing a driving connection between said motor and said door, locking means for said door, means operating auto matically at the beginning of each door opening cycle to actuate said locking means whereby to unlock said door and at the end of each door closing cycle to actuate said locking means whereby to look said door, and a lock mechanically associated with said door locking means and operable by hand from a pointoutside of said door to enable the door locking means to be rendered ineffectual.

7. The combination with a door, of an operator therefor including an electric motor, means providing a driving connection between said motor and said door, a device normally held in set position to lock said door and adapted when released to unlock said door and initiate the operation of said motor, two independent control means by which said device may be released from a point outside of said door, one of said means being operable electrically, said other means being mechanically associated with the releasing means for said device, and a key controlled lock for controlling either of said control means.

8. The combination with a door, of operating mechanism therefor including an electric motor, a control device normally locking said door, said device being adapted when operated to unlock said door and initiate a cycle of operation of said motor, electromagnetioperable from a point outside of said door to release said brake.

10. The combination with a door, of an operating mechanism therefor including an electric motor, means connecting said mechanism and said door, control means operable to govern said mechanism to cause said motor to open the door, control means operable to release said door for movement independently of said operating mechanism whereby to permit manual operation of said door, and a common means operable from apoint outside of the door for governing the operation of each of said control means. I

11. The combination with a door, of an operating mechanism therefor including an electric motor, means connecting said mechanism and said door, control means operable to govern said mechanism to cause said motor to open the door, control means operable to 7 release said door for movement independent ly of said operating mechanism whereby to permit manual operation of said door, and a common means located outside of said door and movable in one direction to govern the operation of one of said control means and in another direction to govern the operation of said other control means.

12. The combination with a door for'the room of a building, of a rotatable driven member, means providing a permanent driving connection between said member and said door for transmitting motive power to the door for opening and closing the same, an electric motor having a releasable driving connection with said member, locking means for the door associated with said last mentioned connection and acting to prevent release thereof when the door is in a closed position, mechanism mechanically associated with said locking means and operable manually from a point outside of said room to render said locking means ineffectual whereby to permit opening of the door by movement of the door, said permanent connection and said member.

13. The combination with a door, of an operator therefor including an electric motor, means providing a driving connection between said motor and said door, means normally acting when the door is in closed position to hold the parts of said connection against rotation, a device normally held in set position and tending to move into a released position to release said holding means and initiate the operation of said motor, means for tripping said device to initiate a normal operating cycle of said operator, and manually controllable and mechanically operable means by which said device may be released from a point outside of said door to release said holding means.

14. The combination with a door to be operated, of an electric motor, means providing a driving connection between said motor and the door including a device normally held in a position to maintain said connection but adapted to be thrown into a released position when acondition of overload is encountered by the door whereby to permit continued opera- DUNCAN J. STEWART. 

